Hair for a swimming kindergartener?

[frodolaughs]

My five year old starts swimming lessons at her school this Friday. She has fingertip-length hair which I put in two french braids every morning before school. Any suggestions for what to do about swimming? It's in the afternoon, but not quite at the end of the day. I need to put it up at the beginning of the day and have it just stay all the way through the school day. I think someone can help her put a swim cap on and off, but that's about it. Suggestions?
Thank you!

[mochichichi]

Oil (and maybe also do a conditioner coat) before braiding in the morning, should help protect her hair. The braids will probably be a bit messy but should be able to survive the swim cap. If they don't then someone should be able to help her undo them and at least put it into a ponytail. If they let them rinse before/after tell her to make sure to wet her hair down. Use a clarifying shampoo on days she swims.

[SandyBottom]

I second the wetting it down and using the conditioner. Not sure what type of swim cap she has, but the silicone ones are easier to manage in that they stretch better and don't tear at the hair. If she's nervous/unsure of what she's supposed to do about her hair, maybe do a practice run at home the day before to help put her at ease.

[Obsidian]

What about a single braid bun?

[lapushka]

My five year old starts swimming lessons at her school this Friday. She has fingertip-length hair which I put in two french braids every morning before school. Any suggestions for what to do about swimming? It's in the afternoon, but not quite at the end of the day. I need to put it up at the beginning of the day and have it just stay all the way through the school day. I think someone can help her put a swim cap on and off, but that's about it. Suggestions?
Thank you!

Elling woman braids. You criss cross the French braids (tuck them under in essence). It's confusing to me, because all the examples I can find while doing a search are of a single tucked under braid, while I always thought it was a criss cross tuck-under with 2 braids. Weird how I remember this. Maybe I'm confusing 2 styles. If that does not work, I would just bun the braids at the bottom (but tucking under is easier for her and less easy to get down).

[frodolaughs]

Gosh, the Elling woman braids! I used to do those all the time and head completely forgotten about them.

[LittleHealthy]

My daughters have lower back length, thick hair. They have lessons twice a week. We do two pigtails up high on their heads, then plait the length, and a small elastic to secure the end. Then when it's time to swim (also afternoon) we spray with detangler and wrap their plaits around the base of the high pigtails (so it looks like space buns, if that makes sense). We then put silicone swimming caps on them. The eldest is 8yrs old and we use an adult sized cap for her, so that it all fits in easily. 1 ponytail with plaited ends and wrapped around itself would work too, but probably better for thinner hair. Good luck!